Plants

Introduction

The Twin Cities falls within the eastern broadleaf forest biome dominated by hardwood trees such as ash, oak, and maple. However, at one time, this area was dominated by prairie and savanna ecosystems and careful observers can still spot grasses, sedges, and flowers that hint at those original plant communities. Wetland plant species still tend to dominate marshy areas. And, of course, there are plants rooted in soils underlying more permanent water bodies, such as the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers and the lakes and ponds of the river floodplains. There are also invasive and exotic plant species that threaten those remaining pockets of natural plant communities.

 

Plants of the Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna

Prairies are highly productive systems dominated by a few species of grass, with wildflowers providing great diversity. Most prairie and savanna species have deep roots to reach moist soils in time of drought and do well in warm weather. Most prairie plants are extremely long-lived and are fire- and grazing-adapted.

 

Plants of the Eastern Broadleaf Forest

The Twin Cities sit on the edge of prairie and eastern broadleaf forest. The cool shade of a forest is inviting on a hot summer day, but plants that live here must have adaptations to cope with the lack of sun. Woodland plants include not just trees, but also early spring ephemeral flowers.

 

Plants of the Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands

Plants living in wetlands must be able to survive both flooding and drying as water levels may fluctuate seasonally. Some live submerged or floating in and on permanent waters, while others emerge and stand upright above the water. Some drift freely on currents and are pushed by wind. Many must endure the scouring effects of ice break up in spring.

 

Invasive Plant Species

Invasive plant species are introduced species that live beyond their normal range and that have characteristics that are detrimental to their new location. These troublesome plants are adaptable, aggressive, have a high reproductive capacity, and generally lack natural enemies in their new location and outcompete native species.

 

Interactive Species List

This species list is constantly updated and may reflect a more recent checklist than the printable resource above. Search using the keyword "Vascular Plants" selected from the drop-down menu. The results may be printed, exported, or downloaded as a spreadsheet for greater analysis.

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

Get Checklist Get Full List List Differences

Species attribute definitions

Search results will be displayed here.

Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.

 

Get Involved

Did you know you can help us figure out the distribution of plants and animals in our park? iNaturalist.com is a citizen science project that allows us to track the location of species we are studying, such as otters, and invasive species within our park. Get your iNaturalist account and help out!

Check out our iNaturalist projects:

• The Life of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
• Coyote Sightings in the Twin Cities (MNRRA)
• Minnesota Metro Otter Survey